It is a familiar argument at this point: acting against Islamic jihadists risks “alienating moderate Muslims.” The Times editors put “peaceful” in brackets ahead of Ibrahim Mounir’s reference to “Muslim Brotherhood values,” but in reality the Brotherhood’s year in power in Egypt was anything but peaceful; that year was marked by thuggery against its opponents, and since the Brotherhood was toppled from power, its supporters have blamed Christians for the loss of power, terrorizing them and burning churches. And even if it really were peaceful, the Muslim Brotherhood is dedicated to establishing Islamic law in societies, and we are constantly told that Muslims in the West have no interest in bringing Sharia West with them, now or ever — so one would think that genuinely moderate Muslims would be happy to repudiate the Brotherhood and see it banned in Britain.

Ibrahim Mounir’s tactic here is very similar to one that is used constantly against me and other foes of jihad terror: the claim that speaking honestly about how Islamic jihadists use the texts and teachings of Islam to justify violence and supremacism will alienate moderate Muslims. You can see an Australian interviewer ask me that exact question in this video. The obvious answer, of course, is that if they were truly moderate, they’d be just as indignant about that usage as we are, and would be standing with us against it.

Finally, note Mounir’s veiled threat: if the Brotherhood is banned, there will be jihad terror in the U.K. Of course, if it isn’t banned, there will be jihad terror in the U.K., but he doesn’t mention that.

Banning the Muslim Brotherhood will leave Britain at greater risk of terrorist attacks, the group’s most senior leader in the UK said yesterday.

Speaking for the first time since David Cameron announced an investigation into the organisation’s alleged links to violent extremism, Ibrahim Mounir said that it risked alienating moderate Muslims. “If this [ban] happened, this would make a lot of people in Muslim communities think that [peaceful] Muslim Brotherhood values . . . didn’t work and now they are designated a terrorist group, which would make the doors open for all options,” he said. Asked if he meant open to violence, he replied: “Any possibility.”…